Kakinada is a seaport—a barrier island to the east protecting its harbour—but it is now little used because the anchorage is 5 to 6 miles (8 to 10 km) offshore. The city’s location in a shifting region of the Godavari River delta requires that the port be constantly dredged to keep the seabed at a uniform depth of 4 to 6 feet (1.2 to 1.8 metres). Kakinada is an exporter of cotton, peanuts (groundnuts), sugar, and tobacco and has a flour-milling plant and an iron factory. A salt-evaporating plant was constructed in the 1970s. The city has colleges affiliated with Andhra University in Vizianagaram. The Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary, which preserves a stretch of coastal mangrove forest, is just to the south. Pop. (2001) 296,329; (2011) 312,538.

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